On Oct. 28, IJʿ’s W. M. Keck Center for Language Study was standing room only as students and faculty gathered for the , an event designed to encourage students to explore the connections between language studies and other academic fields.
Co-hosted with IJʿ’s Division of Arts and Humanities, the event attracted students from all majors and class years. Hovering around the cake table, students had the opportunity to share their academic passions while also sampling cakes from around the world — each baked and presented by one of IJʿ’s eight international language interns.
The mixer showcased how students at IJʿ are “doubling their world” by embracing double majors that combine language studies with disciplines like natural sciences, math, and social sciences. In addition to helping students consider the range of language courses offered for the spring semester, faculty members spoke about the transformative role of language in broadening perspectives and professional opportunities.
Senior Lecturer in University Studies Aleksandr Sklyar ’10 shared how a simple calendar problem during his sophomore year at IJʿ sparked his lifelong passion for language.
“As a student here, I was dead set on studying Hebrew but settled on Japanese due to a scheduling conflict with a history course I wanted to take,” Sklyar explained. “That choice, by chance, changed my path, and now I teach courses in both Japanese and Russian here at IJʿ. Serendipitous moments like these can lead to new paths, and I hope you meet others tonight who inspire and open up new worlds for you as they did for me.”
Similarly, Ben Horner ’25 and Anneliese Coleman ’27 shared how Japanese and Russian, respectively, have enriched their studies in physics, allowing them to approach scientific ideas through a cross-cultural lens. Horner reflected on the impact language has on collaboration in STEM. “In the sciences,” he said, “you can be a great researcher, but in the end, it’s all about effectively communicating with others and understanding what they want to communicate back to you.” Since beginning Japanese during his sophomore year, Horner credits the language with helping him to connect with other researchers on a deeper level.
The annual “Cake Center” event, held for the first time alongside the mixer, added an extra layer of excitement — and sweetness — to the evening. International language interns prepared cakes from their home countries, each one a distinctive culinary introduction to a different culture. Laughter and conversation filled the room as attendees tried treats from Venezuela, Japan, Egypt, and more. Interns took turns introducing their cakes, sharing stories of family recipes and favorite cultural flavors, and, in some cases, acknowledging their culinary mishaps.
“It seems making a traditional Chinese cake is just as difficult as learning Chinese,” joked Chinese language intern Joanna Qiao.
Whether it was Kotomi Shimizu’s traditional Japanese daifuku or Alessandro Muzzi’s Italian apple cake that “didn’t turn out as planned,” the event offered a taste of international language, cuisine, and camaraderie to all.